Cricket: Kane Williamson inches closer to top batting ranking

Kane Williamson. Photo / Ryan Wilkisky

Kane Williamson's three-way battle for the top ranking among test batsmen has taken another turn.

The New Zealand skipper has inched up one spot to second in the latest rankings out today, after making 100 runs during the first test loss to India at Kanpur this week.

That was enough to move former world No 1 Williamson one point ahead of England's Joe Root.

Both sit behind the top-ranked batsman, Australian captain Steve Smith.

Smith has 906 points, with Williamson on 879 and Root 878.

The trio have a comfortable edge over the next best group, headed by South African Hashim Amla on 847 and Pakistani veteran Younis Khan on 845.

The top 10 is rounded out by the currently injured South African skipper AB de Villiers, Australians Adam Voges and David Warner, and England captian Alastair Cook.

New Zealand's next best ranked batsmen are Ross Taylor (15th), BJ Watling (33rd) and Tom Latham (36th).

South African quick Dale Steyn is the world's top ranked bowler on 878 points, with Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin, who tormented New Zealand with 10 wickets in the 197-run win at Kanpur, on 871 and England swing bowler James Anderson on 870.

New Zealand have two bowlers in the top 10, Neil Wagner on 746 in ninth, and fellow left armer Trent Boult on 723 in 10th.

Others rounding out the top 10 from places fourth to eighth are England's Stuart Broad, Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath, Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah, Indian spinner Ravi Jadeja and Australian quick Mitchell Starc.